Preparing For The Future

God's people will cross the river to the Promised Land despite our failures.

Numbers 27:12-14  One day the LORD said to Moses, "Climb one of the mountains east of the river, and look out over the land I have given the people of Israel. 13 After you have seen it, you will die like your brother, Aaron, 14 for you both rebelled against my instructions in the wilderness of Zin.

When the people of Israel rebelled, you failed to demonstrate my holiness to them at the waters." (These are the waters of Meribah at Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.)

In my study of the Torah, I have seen that God has given us plenty of overwhelming evidence of his majesty, power and his everlasting love for us, but I have also seen that it isn’t enough, we have all rejected the evidence and gone astray (Isaiah 53:6).

God's people drift so easily:

• The first generation that came out of Egypt saw God’s mighty acts before they left. They watched as He split the sea wide open, walked through it on dry ground, and still had the nerve to complain about lunch the next day (Exodus 14–16).
• The second generation of God’s people, almost 40 years later, were still reluctant to believe and commit to God’s ways. After the generation that worshiped the golden calf had died, the younger generation also broke the first commandment en masse by worshiping the Moabite gods—just a few months before entering the Promised Land.
• The second generation was still complaining about their situation. Life was harder now and the food was worse than it had been in Egypt. Even Aaron and Miriam complained. All of this was too much for Moses to handle (Numbers 11:1-15, 12:1-16).

Drifting away from God is what they did best. It is no wonder Moses was concerned about what would happen to God’s people after his departure. As God prepared Moses for his death, Moses became especially concerned about the nation and their future

God Prepares Moses

Numbers 27:16-17 "O LORD, you are the God who gives breath to all creatures. Please appoint a new man as leader for the community. 17 Give them someone who will guide them wherever they go and will lead them into battle, so the community of the LORD will not be like sheep without a shepherd."

God tells Moses that his ministry to God's people is almost over because of the incident at Meribah where Moses struck the rock instead of speaking to it. God is going to keep his promise to Moses that he would not enter the Promised Land, a fact that is difficult for us to understand, Moses was a reliable leader that served Israel faithfully in many ways.

Moses served God's people as a picture of Jesus (Hebrews 3:1-6), he was a man that knew God intimately (Deuteronomy 34:10) and God came to his defense when Miriam and Aaron criticized him. (Numbers 12:5-9)

Moses tells God that his people need a replacement, something that God already knew and had been preparing for, the new guy was already being trained for almost 40 years even though it seems that nobody realized it. 

Moses Prepares Joshua

Numbers 27:18 The LORD replied, "Take Joshua son of Nun, who has the Spirit in him, and lay your hands on him."

Moses did what God told him to do to transfer his power to Joshua, he laid hands on him and presented him to the priest in front of everyone so there would be no question about who the new leader is.

God has been preparing the new leader for a very long time, the smooth transition of power was easy to accomplish because Joshua had been serving under Moses beginning with the first military conflict with the Amalekites not long after the Red Sea crossing. (Exodus 17:8–16)

The Bible does not tell us how Moses knew that Joshua was the right man to lead that battle 40 years ago. Maybe Moses knew Joshua before they left Egypt, maybe Joshua served in slavery in Pharaoh's household or in some way that supported the military.

Joshua proved to be a man of God as he served under Moses, he relied on God for that first victory in battle, he was not in the camp when the people worshiped the gold calf and he was one of the two spies that gave a favorable report when the people refused to enter the Promised Land.

Moses Prepares the People

A new beginning is almost here with new leaders and a new generation of God's people that will enter the promised Land. Moses will remind the people before his death that they are on a mission from God despite their unfaithfulness to God.

It looks like a long goodbye when you look at how many chapters it spans from the last section of the book of Numbers through the entire book of Deuteronomy, that's 44 chapters, but it all happened rather quickly. (See the timeline here)

Moses goodbye message will be a reminder of God's goodness to them over the years as he chose them, redeemed them, protected them through the wilderness and now he can be trusted to take his people home. But all of this experience will not keep them faithful unless they wrestle with the natural tendency to drift.

To fight the urge to drift from God, remember:

• Obey God’s commands when they enter the Promised Land
• Don’t forget God when life becomes comfortable and easy
• Every moment presents a choice, choose life and blessing by following Him 
• Teach the next generation what God has done so they can know him

They had plenty of experience with God over the past 40 years but as the old hymn says "prone to wonder, Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love." 

God sought them and bought from their slavery as a picture of the truth found in that same hymn, "Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God; he, to rescue me from danger, interposed his precious blood."

Grace To Start Over

Psalm 103:7-12 He revealed his character to Moses and his deeds to the people of Israel. 8 The LORD is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. 9 He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. 10 He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. 11 For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. 12 He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.

There is hope for our drifting, unfaithful hearts! As sad as the history of God's people is in the wilderness (Psalms 78:1-72), God refused to curse them despite the fact that they were still the same people 40 years later, a truth that is still true for us thousands of years later.

Our fickle hearts still rebel against God as much as they did back in the Garden of Eden, the same as they did in Babylon as we built a tower to Heaven and the same as the multiple rebellions in the wilderness.

God's faithful heart to his people is greater than our fickle hearts! He has compassion and mercy that are new each day to forgive us that he has promised not to curse. We can be sure that he will bring us home to our Promised Land. (Lamentations 3:22-23)

One More Day - Sons Of Sunday

What more can I say but hallelujah, thank you Jesus!

Video: One More Day | Sons Of Sunday

I'm a sinner grace is still healing
I'm a story time is revealing
I'm all of these things
But mostly, I'm thankful, yes, I am
I'm a fighter caught in a struggle
A survivor rising above it
I'm all of these things
But mostly, I'm thankful

'Cause You gave me one more day
To say I love You
You have brought me all this way
To testify Your grace
What more can I say but Hallelujah
Thank You, Jesus
Thank You, Jesus
Thank You, Jesus
'Cause You gave me one more day
One more day

Ooh, when the night was closing in on me
Didn't know if I'd see the morning
You held onto me
And Jesus, I'm grateful, yeah
When my enemies turned up the fire
El Shaddai, You were right there beside me
You showed up for me
And Jesus, I'm grateful

'Cause You gave me one more day (Hallelujah)
To say I love You (oh, God)
You have brought me all this way
To testify Your grace
What more can I say but Hallelujah
Thank You, Jesus

A Heart Of Thanks: Refuses To Forget

Most people are quick to forget where the blessings come from.

 

Luke 17:11-19 As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. 12 As he entered a village there, ten men with leprosy stood at a distance, 13 crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14 He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy. 

15 One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” 16 He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan. 

17 Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you. ”

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You heard about a man that has the power to change your life, and then you learn that he is coming to town, you and your companions are skeptical that he would ever come anywhere close to you. 

But then sure enough you and your friends all cry out for healing and he responds, all ten of you get what you asked for but not in the same way that you have heard about, this time he doesn't heal until the are on their way.

Your dream of being healed has come true for you but also for the other nine. Which leper are you? 

Do you think the other lepers remained healed? If so, what was the benefit or blessing for the one leper who returned to give thanks?

Does living with a heart of thanks make a difference in your life?

So many people chose to use Jesus for what he could do to improve their lives. We see very few people in the New Testament that show us the kind of thankfulness that the one leper displayed.

I have been blessed beyond measure, it is way too easy to be in the crowd with the nine lepers, I have been healed from the leprosy of sin. I need to stop and remember to give God thanks for what he has done and what he is still doing in my life.

Thank you Lord for healing me and bringing me to life!

One Man's Faith

Noah's faith affected his family but the rest of mankind missed the boat.

Genesis 6:5-8 The LORD observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and He saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. 6 So the LORD was sorry He had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke His heart.

7 And the LORD said, "I will wipe this human race I have created from the face of the earth. Yes, and I will destroy every living thing--all the people, the large animals, the small animals that scurry along the ground, and even the birds of the sky. I am sorry I ever made them." 8 But Noah found favor with the LORD.

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If you think our world is bad, consider what Genesis says about the world before the flood, in just a short time the way of Cain had increased to the point that "everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil."

When you read the genealogy in Genesis chapter five it is easy to not realize that the world population could have been a few billion people before the flood came. That would make the ratio of self pleasers to God pleasing people a few billion to eight.

We think we have it so bad but it is very possible that evil may have been far worse than it is in our day. Today we still have thousands of God's people on the planet compared to only eight out of billions of people back in Noah's day. You probably know hundreds of people that do not fit the description of "everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil."

God chooses one family to be a part of his plan to start over, God knew that Noah and his family had the faith to build the ark, a special boat without sails, oars or a rudder. The occupants of the boat didn't have any control, their faith in God made it possible to trust him for the direction, the speed and their final destination.

Noah Was A God Pleaser
Noah was a righteous and blameless man. (Genesis 6:9-13) Noah believed that events that never happened before would take place. Noah trusted God's design specifications for the ark. (Genesis 6:22) Noah dedicated a large amount of time and resources to build the massive ark. Noah warned the people around him (1 Peter 3:20 / 2 Peter 2:5) Noah waited on God before leaving the Ark (Genesis 7:1-24)

Imagine the ridicule as the Ark project got started, when people asked what he was building and why, they had never seen rain and there wasn't a large body of water around. It seemed like Noah was just a crazy man wasting his life and resources away.

Besides the neighbors, Noah must have also been mocked by the suppliers and the laborers that contributed to the project. There were men that made good money in the lumber business, there were laborers, carpenters and people that applied the waterproofing.

After the Ark was completed there were the suppliers for the food and supplies that they would need to set-up household on the boat. There were probably people that visited the project maybe some that went inside and took a tour of the Ark. They saw it, they touched it and heard the message from Noah but at the end of the day they shared crazy Noah stories with their family and friends.

Think about the reactions when the animals started showing up in pairs. It seems to me that the animals would validate Noah's warning and prove that he wasn't just a crazy old man but this was another missed opportunity to receive grace and avoid the coming judgment.

God could have supernaturally provided the Ark and flooded the Earth immediately or he could have wiped out man in some other way but instead there was a season of grace, a delay of justice that allowed the message of salvation and repentance to spread.

The good news was ignored by everyone, all of Noah's friends, his extended family and his business associates that helped build the Ark, they were physically so close to the truth but spiritually they were so far. Noah's faith didn't make any difference to the culture, their wickedness was so great that they were blind to the truth of Noah's faith and obedience.

Blinded By Sin
2 Corinthians 4:3-4 If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.

The letter that Paul wrote to the Corinthian church makes it clear that people are blind to the truth. The glorious light of the good news is right in front of them but they can't see it, grace and mercy is available but it makes no sense to them, the same stubbornness that we see in Cain still exist today.

Sadly, the rebellion continues, the flood put a temporary end to the injustice in the world but it did not change the human heart. Mankind keeps on rebelling against God and his glorious standards, we stubbornly redefine marriage, distort sexual relationships, we think one man is better than another because of pigment, and we kill our babies everyday without any sign of remorse.

We are so wrong for thinking that God doesn't really care about morality and injustice or he would have already intervened. Don't be fooled, the day is coming when God will judge mankind, just as he did in Noah's day, he will protect his people and then he will judge the earth. But this time his people will be taken away to their forever home so that the earth can be destroyed by fire.

Just like the days before the flood, it will seem like God is okay with how things are going, all of the everyday things that happen will keep on happening, plans will be made to marry, have a family, change jobs and go to parties, it will be business as usual for the planet right up to the end. (Matthew 24:36-39)

We all belong to Adam, we all have the craving to go the way of Cain, but we can choose to belong to Jesus and get caught up to live with him for eternity.

RELATED ARTICLES

Thinking Outside The Box (answersingenesis.org)
Timeline For The Flood (answersingenesis.org)
The Global Flood Of Noah's Day (icr.org)

Caught Up

Death is not an issue for God's children... some of them won't even do it.

Genesis 5:21-24 When Enoch was 65 years old, he became the father of Methuselah. 22 After the birth of Methuselah, Enoch lived in close fellowship with God for another 300 years, and he had other sons and daughters. 23 Enoch lived 365 years, 24 walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him.

2 Kings 2:11 As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a chariot of fire appeared, drawn by horses of fire. It drove between the two men, separating them, and Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven.

Mark 16:19 When the Lord Jesus had finished talking with them, He was taken up into heaven and sat down in the place of honor at God's right hand.

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God loves us so much that he gave us a very important warning way back at the beginning of his love story to us, he warned us that the penalty for our sin would be death, and since Adam sinned we all sin and we all will die.

But that's not completely true, God changed the rules for a couple of privileged men that had a special relationship with him, these two were promoted to Heaven without going through the formality of dying. (Hebrews 11:5)

The first one was Enoch, the exception to a long list of men that begot a son and then died at a very old age. (Genesis 4:17-5:32) Enoch had a short life for people back in those days, after only 365 years God walked him right up into Heaven. I don't know how his family felt about this but what a way to go!

Jude 1:14-15 Enoch, who lived in the seventh generation after Adam, prophesied about these people. He said, "Listen! The Lord is coming with countless thousands of His holy ones 15 to execute judgment on the people of the world. He will convict every person of all the ungodly things they have done and for all the insults that ungodly sinners have spoken against Him."

Think you have it bad as a follower of Christ? Enoch lived a godly life in a culture that was so bad that God wanted to destroy it with a flood. There were far more people that followed the way of Cain that brought the culture down spiritually, but there is good news for God's people.

Enoch is a picture of the rapture before the judgment that was on the way. God will take up his church just as sure as he took up Enoch, this is a picture of the rapture of the bride of Christ before the tribulation.

Matthew 24:36-39 "However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son Himself. Only the Father knows. 37 "When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah's day. 38 In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. 39 People didn't realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes.

The days before Jesus’ return will be similar to the days before the Flood. All of the everyday things that happen will keep on happening, plans will be made to marry, have a family, change jobs and go to parties, it will be business as usual for the planet right up to the end.

God could have provided the Ark and flooded the Earth immediately but instead there was a season of grace that allowed people to change their minds and call upon God to save them. God's grace saved eight people from the flood while everyone else lived for themselves.

They had plenty of warning during the time that it took for Noah and his construction crews to finish building and stocking the Ark with supplies. Imagine being one of the laborers or a supplier of the materials that got stuck outside the Ark when the waters started getting high. Surely Noah and his family let you know what you were building and why.

Noah's predictions were too incredible, even the people that helped build the boat didn't care that Noah could be correct. Life goes on for most people without any serious consideration of where they came from or where they are going.

1 Corinthians 15:22-23 Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. 23 But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when He comes back. 

God's grace will be seen by his children that are alive when he comes back to take them to the home he has prepared. I want to walk in close fellowship with God and be a part of the multitude that God will take up without dying.

We all belong to Adam, we all have the craving to go the way of Cain, but we can choose to belong to Jesus and live a new life that will not end or be marred with sin.

Are you ready to be caught up?

RELATED ARTICLES

What Is The Rapture? (billygraham.org)

Don't Kid Yourself

I will never be good enough but I don't have to be.

Romans 7:21-25 I have discovered this principle of life, that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22 I love God’s law with all my heart. 23 But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.

24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.

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Don't kid yourself, when it comes to living a good life that is pleasing to God, you don't stand a chance! Even the "best" Christ follower, the one with all the attendance awards and the ones that can quote Bible verses in King James, has something working against them that causes them to either struggle with sin or just give into it.

 Every great personality in the Bible failed to submit to God and they all struggled with sin. Abraham lied about his wife and he tried to solve the problem that she could not give him a son.  Moses lost his temper and disobeyed God. Even though Aaron was the high priest he still gave in to the request to have a new god created. Even the twelve men that spent three years living with Jesus 24/7 had to struggle.

Take some time and read through the first three chapters of the Book of Romans. Paul has made it obvious that God is Holy and we are all falling short of His Holy requirements. None of us has the ability to live without the effects of sin and nobody gains 100% control over every old sinful habit. Even Paul didn't put his confidence in his ability to keep God's commands but rather he realized that it is only by God's grace that he was anything at all.

In this lifetime, we will never be perfectly victorious over sin (1 John 1:8), but that should still be our goal. If we view sin as being as ugly as God sees it then we will become less comfortable with sinning. With God’s help, and by following the principles of His Word, we can progressively overcome sin and become more and more like Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:9-10 For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church. 10 But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace.

Can you say as Paul did that "God has poured His special favor" on you? To realize that you will never be good enough is one thing but to realize that you don't have to is even better. God choose to extend grace to me through His only Son Jesus so that I could have a relationship with Him.

As Easter approaches I need to remember that I have a friend that is true to me (Proverbs 18:24) and he will always treat me better than I could possibly treat him. I need to do everything that I can to be pleasing to him, becoming more like Christ, through God's power and grace.

Say Amen

It's only by God's grace I'm standing here today.

Video: Matthew West "Amen"

Hey hey preacher man

Do you mind if I borrow that mic? (Uh-huh!)

You been talking 'bout

How everybody got a story

Here is mine

I was so lost, I was so lost

But now I'm found, yeah, yeah

Hey hey preacher man

Let's take a walk down by the river

Let the holy water wash over me

'Cause now that I've been delivered

I want the whole world

To know that I'm a new man now

And it's only by God's grace

I'm standing here today

If you're feeling what I'm feeling

Let me hear you say amen

If you're a new creation, amen

If you got that feel good in your soul

That hope that won't let you go

If you're feeling what I'm feeling

Let me hear you say amen

Every time I look back over my shoulder

I can see the life He saved me from

Every time I look back over my shoulder

I can see the life He saved me from

Thank God

Hey Church, now you see

This little light of mine

Well, my question is a simple one (Who's next?)

Come get it loud

I'm talking one by

I'm talking one by, one by one

Gonna testify

That it's only by God's grace

We're standing here today

If you're feeling what I'm feeling

Let me hear you say amen

If you're a new creation, amen

If you got that feel good in your soul

That hope that won't let you go

If you're feeling what I'm feeling

Let me hear you say amen

If you're a new creation, amen

If you got that feel good in your soul

That hope that won't let you go

If you're feeling what I'm feeling

Let me hear you say amen

New Life From Nothing

2 Corinthians 5:17-21 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to Himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to Him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. And He gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ's ambassadors; God is making His appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, "Come back to God!" 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

God took my nothing and created a new life, I didn't have anything good to help him out, what you see now was done completely on his own. My pride, my old passions, the things that I thought were important are all gone, God made a new man out of nothing. Amen!

Big, Big Love

The love of Jesus is too great to fully understand.

Ephesians 3:18-19  And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is.

19  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully.

1 Timothy 1:12-14 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do his work. He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve him, 13 even though I used to blaspheme the name of Christ. In my insolence, I persecuted his people. But God had mercy on me because I did it in ignorance and unbelief.

14 Oh, how generous and gracious our Lord was! He filled me with the faith and love that come from Christ Jesus.

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Most of us lose the excitement of new found love eventually. A few disagreements is all that it takes to realize that the newly loved person is truly a human that has flaws. Thankfully there is love that is so much more incredible than that.

God's love is so overwhelming that Paul prayer that we would be able to understand it, he never got over the big, big love that he experienced from God. A man that was going against God's will so aggressively by persecuting the people that were doing God's will.

The world that we live in doesn't understand big love that is perfect, we are used to small love that has strings attached and easily fades away, our imperfect minds cannot understand the extent of God's love.

God loves us so much!

John 3:16  "For God loved the world SO much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.

There isn't a better lover in all of the world than God, he loved his creation so much that he was willing to be separated from his Son and watch him endure the difficulties that he faced on earth. Jesus was willing to be beaten and crucified so that Satan's plan would be destroyed.

That just blows my mind that I have that much value in God's eyes! I don't know if we can possibly know "how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is" and why it is that big. How could somebody that is so perfect love something that is so messed up?

Thank you Lord for putting such incredible value in me! I am glad that you have made it easy to experience your grace so that I can spend eternity with you!

You Are Mine!

I'm amazed that I am yours and you are mine!

Nothing in this world

Nothing in this whole wide world

Could ever take me from your hand

Even if I run away

And I don't have the strength to make it back home

I know that you will guide me

Cause you are the one who picked me up

Brushed me off and called me loved

You showed me I am yours

You are mine

Jesus, you are mine

I know that I'm unworthy

Completely undeserving

I'm amazed, I'm amazed

That I am yours

And you are mine

You are mine

Even when I can't feel you

Even when my soul is crying out

And it looks like I have nobody

Lord, you'll be the one to pick me up

Brush me off and call me loved

Yes, I know that I am yours

And you are mine

Jesus, you are mine

I know that I'm unworthy

Completely undeserving

I'm amazed, I'm amazed

That I am yours

And you are mine

I am home, I am home

I am home here with you

I am home, I am home

I am home here with you

Oh, Jesus I am home, I am home

I am home right here with you

I'm blessed to call you... mine

I'm amazed that you are... mine

I know that I'm unworthy

Completely undeserving

I'm amazed, I'm amazed

That I am yours

Oh, I'm amazed

I'm amazed

That I am yours

And you are mine

You are mine

Are You Amazed?

Psalm 139:1-6, 17-18 O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.  2 You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.  3 You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. 4 You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord.  5 You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.  6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand! 17 How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!  18 I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!

An all knowing God who is totally pure and completely knows me and how impure I am still loves me !

On my best day I am never close to deserving what God has given to me! It is amazing that he knows me and he still wants me!

If you are not amazed by God's love and his huge desire to have a relationship with you then there is a big problem. If he isn't that amazing to you then you don't understand just how good he is and just how bad you are.

Thank you Lord for your amazing love!

Caught Needing Mercy

Only Jesus can satisfy God's demand for justice and our need for mercy.

John 8:2-12  but early the next morning He was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and He sat down and taught them.  3  As He was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.  4  "Teacher," they said to Jesus, "this woman was caught in the act of adultery.  5  The law of Moses says to stone her. What do You say?"  6  They were trying to trap Him into saying something they could use against Him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with His finger.

7  They kept demanding an answer, so He stood up again and said, "All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!"  8  Then He stooped down again and wrote in the dust.  9  When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman.

10  Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, "Where are your accusers? Didn't even one of them condemn you?"  11  "No, Lord," she said. And Jesus said, "Neither do I. Go and sin no more."  12  Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, "I am the light of the world. If you follow Me, you won't have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life."

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What's going on here? The crowds must have wondered, they have never seen anybody stoned for adultery by themselves, did the man get away? How could he get away, the sun is out, there isn't any way that he could be nameless.

Maybe the guy was a Pharisee, they wouldn't haul one of their own to the temple and throw him down at Jesus feet and risk having him stoned. But it didn't matter to the Pharisees, they weren't looking for justice, the only thing on their mind was setting a trap that Jesus wouldn't be able to get out of. They were happy to have a question to ask him that didn't seem to have a safe answer.

The scribes and Pharisees came armed with the law as a weapon, that shouldn't surprise you, we have all seen it before in Christian circles. Our churches are full of people that use the Bible for their own selfish agenda, they judge others and they put down their enemies but they never apply the same rule to themselves.

Matthew 7:1-3  Do not judge others, and you will not be judged.  2  For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.  3  And why worry about a speck in your friend's eye when you have a log in your own?

The Pharisees and Jesus are standing here in front of the woman at opposite ends of the spectrum. The Pharisees are all charged up and poised to act immediately but Jesus is calm and cool. By stooping down and doodling in the dirt he allows them to show their hatred and their animosity toward him while he just remained calm.

They came to condemn the woman but instead they were condemned. They wanted her condemned and stoned with Jesus approval so that Jesus would be in trouble with the Romans for carrying out a job that was only for them to do.

Jesus said that they could throw the rocks at her but they needed to meet the qualification for administering Godly justice. He told them that the only requirement is that they be sinless. That should disqualify all of us from throwing rocks at each other but it doesn't slow us down very much.

Instead of falling down at Jesus feet and asking for mercy and forgiveness, the Pharisees turn and run away, they could see that a just God was demanding that they change.

The one that was sinless and therefore qualified to throw rocks asks the woman "Where are your accusers? The sinless Son of God wasn't going to accuse her even though he had the right to do so.

Does that sound odd? God demands justice but the Son of God let her go without punishment. God's demand for justice is the polar opposite of mercy. How can mercy be accomplished in the face of justice?

Justice and Mercy
Isaiah 53:5-6  But He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God's paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on Him the sins of us all.

The cross is the place where justice and mercy meet. The greatest mystery of all time is why our creator loves us so much that he would provide a way for us to be righteous when we stand before him. My sin was dealt with 100% and the full payment for it was made at the cross and since the sacrifice was made I can receive mercy 100%. When God gave me mercy he didn't have to overlook my sin and let me off the hook and ignore the need for justice.

Micah 6:8  He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

This verse has new meaning to me as a result of this study. It occurred to me that God requires from me the same thing that he did. My God did justice, he expects me to do justice, my God did mercy and he expects me to do mercy. If I follow his example then I will be able to walk humbly with him. I will have to be humble. The act of giving mercy out to those that have done me wrong helps me to understand the cost of the mercy that was given to me.

Like the adulterous woman, I was guilty and condemned before Him, and like the adulterous woman I have experienced mercy through God's sovereign grace He loved me enough to die in my place and offer me a full pardon. Like the adulterous woman I have met God and I am forgiven!

Thank you Lord for loving me so much that you satisfied your need for justice with my need for mercy!

RELATED ARTICLES

How Do God's Mercy And Jusrice Work Together? (gotquestions.org)

Justice And Mercy Combined (odb.org)

When Justice And Mercy Meet (relevantmagazine.com)

Flawless

You have blown it plenty of times but the cross can make you flawless.

"Flawless" - MercyMe

There’s got to be more 

Than going back and forth 

From doing right to doing wrong 

‘Cause we were taught that’s who we are 

Come on get in line right behind me 

You along with everybody 

Thinking there’s worth in what you do 

Then Like a hero who takes the stage when 

We’re on the edge of our seats saying it’s too late 

Well let me introduce you to amazing grace 

No matter the bumps 

No matter the bruises 

No matter the scars 

Still the truth is 

The cross has made 

The cross has made you flawless 

No matter the hurt 

Or how deep the wound is 

No matter the pain 

Still the truth is 

The cross has made 

The cross has made you flawless 

Could it possibly be 

That we simply can’t believe 

That this unconditional 

Kind of love would be enough 

To take a filthy wretch like this 

And wrap him up in righteousness 

But that’s exactly what He did 

Take a breath smile and say 

Right here right now I’m ok 

Because the cross was enough 

Then Like a hero who takes the stage when 

We’re on the edge of our seats saying it’s too late 

Well let me introduce you to grace grace 

God’s grace 

Perfect in Jesus
Romans 3:22-24  We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when He freed us from the penalty for our sins.

Flawless? Yes! Perfect? No! My perfection isn't based on any effort on my part. I am totally dependant on Jesus for my perfection.

Because of my faith in Jesus and the work that he came to do on the cross I have received the righteousness of Jesus. Not only is Christ’s righteousness transferred onto me but the penalty for my sin was transferred over to him. (2 Corinthians 5:21, Galatians 2:20).

Thank you Jesus for making me flawless! Thank you for making it possible to stand before God in heaven without fear. I can say with confidence, “I am sinless, as Jesus is sinless.”

Judging Isn't Always Wrong

We need to be careful who and how we judge.

Matthew 7:1  "Do not judge others, and you will not be judged.

Matthew 7:3  "And why worry about a speck in your friend's eye when you have a log in your own?

Matthew 7:6  "Don't waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Don't throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you.

Matthew 7:17  A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit.

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People love to quote Jesus words without looking at the context and without checking out his other statements about the same topic.

Matthew 7:1 is probably one of the most misused verses in the Bible. Jesus doesn't condemn all judging but he does want us to be careful about how we do it.

Judging is a very necessary action and it is a healthy part of our daily lives. Without good judgment we would put ourselves in harms way or we would believe every lie that we hear. We need to form an opinion of the conduct of the people around us but our tendency is to judge too harshly and without mercy. If you look at the context of Matthew 7:1 you will see that there are instances that he told us to judge.

Judge at the right time

Timing is everything, Jesus told us to judge ourselves before we judge other people. (Matthew 7:2) Consider how bad that plank is in your own eye before you do a lot of damage trying to retrieve a speck of dust from somebody else eye. We need to be careful that we don't justify ourselves too quickly and rush to help save those that are around us that need our "help."

People who continually find fault with others only invite judgment upon themselves, in pointing to the faults in others, they attract attention to themselves. We all have faults, and though they themselves may be unaware of them, other people see them very clearly

Judge the value of the gospel

Jesus tells us that we should avoid offering the gospel to quarrelsome people that will not realize it's value. Those who present the gospel must be able to judge the difference between people who genuinely want to know about God and people who only want to mock and abuse. We are to recognize that there are some people so hardened to receiving the message that they will not listen

There were times that Jesus discerned that his audience would not appreciate the value of the gospel. We need to be careful that we don't rush to judge our audience and withhold the gospel message from someone that may have been open to it.

Judge the fruit 

Jesus talked many times about checking out the fruit that you see being produced on a tree and deciding for yourself what it tells you about that tree. If the person claims to be a believer but

Philippians 1:11  May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation--the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ--for this will bring much glory and praise to God.


The world is right to judge us. If you’re a follower of Jesus you should behave like one, nonbelievers expect you to act like Jesus. They expect you to care like Jesus and respond to people the way that Jesus did. Our character should prove that our faith has meaning.

Stop judging the world.
1 Corinthians 5:12-13 It isn't my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning.  13  God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, "You must remove the evil person from among you."

While the world can judge us we shouldn't be judging the behavior of people outside of the family of God. We shouldn't be running around pointing our finger at them and criticizing them. Jesus didn't walk around and tell everybody he saw how bad they are. He didn’t coerce, threaten, or guilt people into following him.

Jesus loved people and his love drew people to him. We will never win the world to Jesus by doing anything other than loving the world. The early church did a great job of this and they were able to change the world but once the church became established politically in the Roman Empire this came to an end.

Political power and influence over non-Christians will not achieve the work of the Great Commission. Too often we judge nonbelievers while failing to hold ourselves accountable for our behavior.

Missing Christmas: Religious

The shepherds story amazed everybody but nobody else went to see Jesus.

Luke 2:8-20  That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep.  9  Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them. They were terrified,  10  but the angel reassured them. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.  11  The Savior--yes, the Messiah, the Lord--has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!  12  And you will recognize Him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger."

13  Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others--the armies of heaven--praising God and saying,  14  "Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased."

15  When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, "Let's go to Bethlehem! Let's see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."  16  They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger.

17  After seeing Him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child.  18  All who heard the shepherds' story were astonished,  19  but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.  20  The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.

---

The dirtiest most despised outcast of Jewish social groups were the people that watched sheep. This is the same group of people that the Egyptians didn't like either.  (Genesis 46:33-34) The shepherds didn't have the opportunity to maintain the ceremonial washings and observe all the religious festivals and feasts. They didn't have the opportunity to allow religion to come between themselves and God.

These shepherds were just outside of the city of Jerusalem, possibly staying in the fields that are between Jerusalem and Bethlehem, possibly caring for the sheep that would be used in the temple sacrifices. How fitting it is that they were the first to know that the Lamb of God had arrived!

The amazing thing is that the shepherds were excited about Jesus birth and they went to see him and then they gave their testimony about what happened and nobody else went to find Jesus. All of Jerusalem missed Christmas except for some shepherds.

Why did Jerusalem miss Christmas? They missed Christmas because of religion. These people were very religious, they visited the temple on a regular basis, they made their sacrifices, they followed all of the ceremonies and attended all of the feasts and festivals and yet they missed Christmas. They were looking for a great leader; not a child in a manger. They were looking for relief from the Romans: not for somebody that would tell them to love their enemies.

They hoped for a leader who would support their religious system, Jesus opposed everything that they thought was important when he gave the Sermon on the Mount, they were disappointed in who Jesus is. He offered truth that would free them from the tyrannical, demanding, oppressive, legalistic religion the scribes and Pharisees had burdened the people with but the majority of people were so established in their religion that they wouldn’t listen to the good news.

2 Corinthians 11:14-15  But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.  15  So it is no wonder that his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. In the end they will get the punishment their wicked deeds deserve.

Religion can be a deadly trap, ritual and rules help us feel spiritual when we are not, church tradition will send you to hell if that is all you have. Church membership isn't going to help you when you step into eternity, being baptized and taking the Lord's supper isn't going to have any value to you when you stand before God. Satan loves religion because it helps us feel righteous even when genuine righteousness is found in one place.

Romans 3:20-22  For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.  21  But now God has shown us a way to be made right with Him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago.  22  We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.

You may be a follower of Jesus and you may be on your way to heaven but you may miss Christmas because of religion. We can pack the church calendar with a lot of good things that keep us too busy this time of year. We need to focus on and be thankful for the gift of being made right with God through Jesus.

Peace With God

My faith in Jesus work on the cross gives me undeserved privileges

Ephesians 3:12  Because of Christ and our faith in Him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God's presence.

Romans 5:1-2  Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.

2  Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory.

---

The fact that I have been forgiven of all of the things that I have ever done wrong is so amazing. To think that God who is so perfect and has nothing to do with sin or evil can welcome me into his presence is pretty incredible.

The Bible says that we can come into God's presence because of two things, the work of Jesus on the cross and our faith in Jesus, that's the only way to come to God and enjoy his presence. On the surface it looks like God did his part by having Jesus come to die for us and then it is up to us to have the faith to believe but everything that we have comes from God and that even includes the faith to believe.

I can come into the presence of God boldly and with confidence, there isn't any reason to fear, God loves me and he covered my sin debt already. When he looks at me he doesn't see somebody that owes him for all of my sin. He sees me as all paid up!

John 5:24  "I tell you the truth, those who listen to My message and believe in God who sent Me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life."

I hope that you know without a doubt that you can have peace with God. Our relationship with God was broken by sin but he he has provided the way to restore our relationship so that we can have peace with him and peace in the trials of life.

More information on how to "Find Peace With God"

Used By God

It is a privilege to serve God.

Ephesians 3:7-11  By God's grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving Him by spreading this Good News.  8  Though I am the least deserving of all God's people, He graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ.   

9  I was chosen to explain to everyone this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning.  10  God's purpose in all this was to use the church to display His wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.  11  This was His eternal plan, which He carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.

---

Most of us don't like the idea of being used, it usually implies that someone has taken advantage of us, but the people that are being used by God don't mind it at all and they are usually very happy about it. In our selfish, sinful world people get used and mistreated everyday, we are not very nice to the people around us but there is somebody that we should be happy to have use us.

The Apostle Paul tells us that he was very privileged to be used by God. Paul was always zealous for God and wanted to be useful and obedient, that's why he was so well studied in the ways of Judaism, most of his life had been spent learning how to please God. Paul really thought that he knew God's will.

It is easy to think that your busyness is helping you accomplish God's will for your life but sometimes we are missing the mark just as bad as Paul did. Imagine spending so much time trying to please God with your life, going to the temple to learn from the local rabbi, studying everything that he taught about God and then you find out that the way to please God is totally opposite of what you had learned. God had to show him that he wasn't interested in the work that Paul was doing for him.

Instead of shoving Paul over to the side and deciding the he wasn't useful God gave him a chance for a turn around. He didn't deserve a do over but God corrected Paul's understanding about the Old Testament and revealed the truth of the Messiah to him so that he could understand the events that just happened in Jerusalem surrounding Jesus.

Appointed by God
John 15:16  You didn't choose Me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit.

A popular question to ask somebody you just met is "What kind of work do you do?" It would be awesome if we answered this question from a heavenly perspective. All of God's children have been given a job to do and we should know what it is and be just as able to talk about it as we are able to talk about our career choices here on earth.

None of us deserve to have God find us useful and beneficial to his work but by his grace we get to have a job doing kingdom work. God's grace chose to use me without any regard for my resume or my past performance.

God wants me to be his servant, someone that is a waiter or a foot washer, jobs that don't sit well with a lot of people. God wants me to serve with a sense of who I really am without him. There isn't any room for pride or glorifying myself when I think about how much he has done for me as a wretched sinner without hope.

I need to be the church by serving in the role that God has called me to work in. The church is here to bring glory to God but that will not happen unless we are obedient to God's call and serve him with our lives. (Ephesians 3:10, Matthew 5:16)

Lord help me to understand your will and the work that you have appointed for me to accomplish.

The Work Of The Master

The masterpiece doesn't get to take any credit for what it is.

Ephesians 2:4-10  But God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so much,  5  that even though we were dead because of our sins, He gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God's grace that you have been saved!)

6  For He raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.  7  So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of His grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all He has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

8  God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God.  9  Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

10  For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.

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A masterpiece doesn't happen by accident, it takes forethought and planning to make it happen, most of the time there is a sketch or a rough draft or in the case of a building project there is a blueprint. The number one artist, designer and creator of all time was no different, he had a plan and a purpose, he didn't create just to pass the time and his creation didn't turn out so awesome by accident.

mas·ter·piece - Noun /ˈmastərˌpēs/  A work of outstanding artistry, skill, or workmanship.

God had a plan for each of us when he created us and he had a plan to provide for our deepest need. God knew that we would not be a beautiful masterpiece for very long he knew that we would need to be restored to the beautiful condition that we were in when we were brand new and still living in the Garden of Eden.

God's plan to help us wasn't forced on us, out of his mercy and love, he put the plan in place and made it available to us but he gives us the choice. I can continue to be a dead man with very limited potential if that's what I want to be or I can have a new birth to a life that has the greatest rewards.

I am his prized possession.
James 1:18  He chose to give birth to us by giving us His true word. And we, out of all creation, became His prized possession.

It was God's choice, undeserved by us, to offer his gracious gift to us and make us his special masterpiece and a prized possession. The masterpiece didn't do anything to become a masterpiece, the artistry of our creator made us what we are, the best that I could do isn't anywhere close to measuring up, God's work in my life is the only way that I have become so valuable.

Who does God say that I am? I am so valuable to God that he calls me his child and his friend (John 1:11, 15:15), he wants me to live life to the max (John 10:10), and my life is a sweet aroma to him  (2 Corinthians 2:15, Ephesians 5:2). His opinion of me is what really matters!

Thank you Lord for making me a valuable masterpiece that you desire to have.

Salvation: Made A Reality By Jesus

God's plan of salvation is fulfilled by Jesus sacrifice on the cross.

Ephesians 1:7-12  He is so rich in kindness and grace that He purchased our freedom with the blood of His Son and forgave our sins.  8  He has showered His kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.   

9  God has now revealed to us His mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill His own good pleasure.

10  And this is the plan: At the right time He will bring everything together under the authority of Christ, everything in heaven and on earth.  11  Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for He chose us in advance, and He makes everything work out according to His plan.

Luke 2:11 The Savior, yes, the Messiah, the Lord, has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!

Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”

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In yesterday's post from Ephesians 1:1-6 we learned that God has always had a plan. God wasn't caught off guard and he didn't say "Oops!" when Adam and Eve disobeyed him for the first time. The plan was somewhat of a mystery for thousands of years, mankind had a glimpse of God's plan, but we didn't know too much about it until he was ready to reveal the details to us.

The mystery of God's plan started to be revealed in the prophets and then in the announcement of Jesus birth when the angels told the shepherds that the Savior was born. Jesus' teaching continued to unveil the mystery and show us that God planned to save the world, not just the Jews, through Jesus death.

We know that God is loving, merciful and kind but the plan of salvation also reveals that God demands justice and perfection in order to have a relationship with him, we need a sacrificial lamb to purify us and make us right in God's eyes.

Jesus sacrifice is final

Hebrews 10:1, 4 The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. 4 For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

The animal sacrifices of the Old Testament were never meant to forgive sins. They were only a reminder of the fact that they had sin and that they needed the perfect and final sacrifice that God promised to send. There was only one sacrifice that could forgive sins, the only spotless lamb that could be offered was God himself, he knew when he created man that he would have to come down here and die in our place.

The only sacrifice that can cover my sins has been made and now I can enjoy a relationship with God for eternity. I didn't do anything to obtain this great favor with God, it is only because God is so rich in love and kindness that he wanted to make me right with him, what an awesome gift!

More scripture about God's plan: 2 Timothy 1:9-10

Related articles

• Salvation: Planned By God (diggingtheword.blogspot.com)
• He's Alive! Now I'm Alive! (diggingtheword.blogspot.com)
• How Far Will You Go (gracefallsac.tumblr.com)

When God Doesn't Cooperate

You may want that thorn to go away but it may be something that God wants to use.

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.

8  Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. 9  Each time He said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness."

So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.  10  That's why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

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The Apostle Paul has been wrestling with God about an unknown physical problem that was making his ministry difficult to do. He prayed for this difficulty to be removed so that he could do God's work with greater ease, what could be more noble than asking God to get something painful out of the way so that you could do more work for him?

One of the most used men of the Bible, wrote most of the New Testament, traveled great distances, saw Jesus in a vision, healed others, this guy was a big deal by human standards yet he couldn't heal himself. You would probably be tempted to tell God about all of the wonderful work that you have done for him and how much more useful you could be without this thorn, but we can't call in favors with God, with all of the good things that Paul did for the kingdom, he still didn't get the results that he wanted.

"My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness."

Instead of a cure Paul received a message from God, he was told that the thorn wasn't going away, instead of a healing Paul would have to rely on God's grace and power. God tells us that his unmerited favor and love and his power is more than enough to keep us going. At least Paul got an answer to his prayers many people have prayed for relief for many years without hearing from God, his lack of cooperation may make you wonder if he knows about you or you may wonder if he even exist, it is nice to hear from God but we know from the Bible that many people have waited on God for a long time.

Go to God to find grace

Hebrews 4:15-16  This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for He faced all of the same testings we do, yet He did not sin.  16  So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

Our Savior experienced what it is to be human, he experienced pain to the extreme, he knows what our weaknesses can do to us emotionally. Our High Priest invites us to come to God without any shame and experience God's mercy and grace.

We don't always know what is best for us and we don't always need to get what we ask God for. You have permission to ask but remember that God has permission to say no. We are to go boldly to our Savior with our request but we better not expect to always get what we want.

"So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me."

We like to see God's power in our lives but we like for it to be manifest in our strengths. We like to see Christians at the top of their game giving glory to God while they are in the spotlight but sometimes God chooses to get glory in our weakness instead of in our talents and skills. We don't get to decide, it was God's decision to use Paul's weakness so that God would be glorified, and it was Paul's decision whether he would be at peace and let God work any way that he chose to use him.

2 Thessalonians 3:16  Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you His peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all.

Paul may have missed some ministry opportunities or some church meetings and it probably didn't make any sense to him why God would allow a hindrance to the work that he was called to do but he knew that God was in control and that he can be trusted in every situation.

The most impressive Christians that you know are probably the ones that kept on going through difficult times. When your weakness and pain get in the way of doing more for God and Satan tries to tell you that you are not useful for the kingdom, remember that God is working through you. If you can be at peace with God and allow him to be glorified in your weakness then you are being used for his purpose.

Inspired by an Andy Stanley podcast:  When God, Part Two - When God Is Uncooperative

Running On Empty

Are you attempting to fill your life with anything other than God?

1 Peter 1:17-20 And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time as “foreigners in the land.”

18 For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. 19 It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.

20 God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but he has now revealed him to you in these last days.

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The symptoms of the empty life: depression, anxiety, loneliness, unforgiven, hurt and a lack of purpose, that's what the pleasures of this world have to offer you.

“In all our searching, the only thing we've found that makes the emptiness bearable is each other.”

― Carl Sagan

That's a sad way to deal with the emptiness that we all feel, even a follower of Christ can feel empty, the world doesn't have much to offer you. When Jesus came to earth he found a world full of empty people, the government of Israel had been overthrown, the Roman government and the religious leaders were oppressing the people, they all seemed to be like sheep without a shepherd. (Matthew 9:36)

Some of the people that Jesus met that needed to be "filled up" include:

✔  The Samaritan woman that needed more than just her jar filled (John1:1-54)
✔  Matthew the despised tax collector (Matthew 9:9-13)
✔  The woman that was healed from touching the hem of his garment, (Mark 5:25-29)
✔  The rich man that wouldn't give so that he could get (Luke 18:18-25)

The reason that life seems empty is because of sin. For those that are still seeking for a way to deal with guilt, those that don't know about grace and forgiveness, it can be very difficult to find meaning and purpose in life.

Jesus saved me from the empty life of sin

Romans 8:31-32  What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?  32  Since He did not spare even His own Son but gave Him up for us all, won't He also give us everything else?

The good news is that you can get beyond the guilt if you have the right lawyer. God is a fair and impartial judge and there is only one lawyer that can possibly get your past erased, if you don't have him then you are in trouble. (1 John 2:1)

Christ paid a high price to redeem us from our hopeless, empty existence that we had before we came to know him. The sin nature that we inherited from our ancestors is powerless against what Christ has done. The lamb that was put on the altar for our sins was the first and only sinless sacrifice that the world will ever know. It is amazing that God has always planned to send his son for our benefit, there wasn't any last minute change of plans, this is still Plan A. Our imperfections didn't catch God off guard and force him to create Plan B.

We have a lot of potential in Jesus, he has a fulfilling life in mind for every one of us, but we can all experience emptiness when we allow worldly pressures and pleasures to get a foothold. Our life will feel incomplete when we fail to make time for intimate fellowship with Christ or when we put him in a box.

I need to make the time to draw near to God so that I will remember how well he has treated me. (Psalm 103:10-11)